Good Morning,Buying a new flat trailer to haul my dirtbikes & other toys. The trailer company's trailers come standard with a 36" long tongue and the salesman wanted to make it clear that if I am towing behind my motorhome that I really need a 48" long tongue to avoid hitting the rv in tight turns. Comes at a price... a few hundred dollars and a month long wait while they make a custom trailer.I totally understand the logic and need for the longer tongue. The couple hundred dollars doesnt bother me, its that I need the trailer sooner.Does anyone have any experience with hitch extensions? I realize they add additional stress to the hitch. My trailer fully loaded would be about 3500lbs. I was thinking of taking a 36" tongue trailer and running a 12" extension.The trailer will be towed mostly by my truck and seldom by my RV.Good? Bad? Ugly?

The way the skirting is on the back of the DP I use an 8" extension just to make things clear and hook up easier and see no excessive wear or damage. My trailer is 54" from front of deck to ball of trailer and it makes the trailer so much nicer to tow and back behind the DP as well as behind the truck. If you intend to keep the trailer I would get the longer tongue. Not only does it allow for tighter turns it just seems to track much better.

Instead of a custom trailer why not buy a hitch extension? Something like this: 12" Hitch ExtensionIt costs a LOT less than a custom trailer!

WAFlowers wrote:Instead of a custom trailer why not buy a hitch extension? Something like this: 12" Hitch ExtensionIt costs a LOT less than a custom trailer!Thats what I am looking at. Seeing what the pros/cons are to using these extensions? Dont they add additional stress to the hitch?

Notice that it derates your hitch to 3500 lbs. with 350 lbs tongue weight. Your stated loaded trailer weights put you at or possibly over the rating on this extension.

Hitch extension will be fine, just get a good one. I have had 2 because the first one bent, 2nd one was must more heavy duty and worked good.

Hitch Extension | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

Blackdiamond
Explorer
Jan 23, 2018
Hitch extension will be fine, just get a good one. I have had 2 because the first one bent, 2nd one was must more heavy duty and worked good.
STBRetired
Explorer
Jan 23, 2018
Notice that it derates your hitch to 3500 lbs. with 350 lbs tongue weight. Your stated loaded trailer weights put you at or possibly over the rating on this extension.
jeremywatco
Explorer
Jan 23, 2018
WAFlowers wrote:
Instead of a custom trailer why not buy a hitch extension? Something like this: 12" Hitch Extension

It costs a LOT less than a custom trailer!

Thats what I am looking at. Seeing what the pros/cons are to using these extensions? Dont they add additional stress to the hitch?
WAFlowers
Explorer
Jan 23, 2018
Instead of a custom trailer why not buy a hitch extension? Something like this: 12" Hitch Extension

It costs a LOT less than a custom trailer!
discovery4us
Explorer
Jan 23, 2018
The way the skirting is on the back of the DP I use an 8" extension just to make things clear and hook up easier and see no excessive wear or damage.

My trailer is 54" from front of deck to ball of trailer and it makes the trailer so much nicer to tow and back behind the DP as well as behind the truck. If you intend to keep the trailer I would get the longer tongue. Not only does it allow for tighter turns it just seems to track much better.

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Hitch Extension

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